UI Prof Targets Food Portions as One Culprit for Obesity

The researcher has set up several food experiments that show that the more people are given, the more they will eat, regardless of whether they are full or think the food tastes good.

Wansink says "in the obesity war, portion size is the first casualty.''

His experiments have included tomato soup, popcorn and potato chips. They target the visual clues people use to tell them it's time to stop eating.

In the soup experiment, some bowls are rigged with hidden tubes that keep them full, while others are not. Over two years of the experiment, students with bottomless bowls tended to eat 40 percent more than test subjects with regular bowls.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.